Inspired by Eat Pray Love, Rose's fulfilled life in the Titanic and my own primarily sedentary life, I present to you The Bucket List Challenge. When playing The Sims 3, I tend to play house and go for the same goals every time β get a job, build a house, find a man and start a family. I love my sims but rarely let them experience more of what life - scratch that - The Sims 3 has to offer, due to time constraints and the wish to further the family line. The game is full of so many wonderful things to do which I have yet tapped on.

The point of this challenge is to allow your sim to break out of the nine to five rut and challenge her to leave her comfort zone. And of course for you to revisit The Sims 3, discover all the things you missed out on and visit new worlds!

Requirements
At least: The Sims 3 Base game
Optimal: The expansion packs, NRaas Traveler Mod by Twallan, Installed Worlds from the simmer community and/or The Sims 3 Store

Goal
Check every item off the bucket list. (The list may vary depending on which expansion packs are installed.)

Getting Started

Create a young adult sim of any gender and trait mishmash.
Your sim can move on to any lot he can afford.

Rules

Life shouldnβt be rushed. β No life span restrictions.
Embrace change. β Your sim must move, preferably to a new town and change their profession each at least five times.
Stay curious. β Master at least five different skills.
Take your time to discover. β Always choose the longest possible vacation stay when traveling.
Make connections. β Befriend at least two sims in each new town you move to / land you visit and keep in touch.
Stay modest. β No money cheats.
Cherish memories. β Keep a journal or video diary of your simsβ adventures. It would be great if you share it too.
Go for gold. β Check every item off the list.

Mod Rules

To make traveling easier, you are allowed to use cheats to manipulate traveling restrictions, such as changing the VISA level and stopping the travel clock. However, all traveling costs must be financed by your simβs hard earned money. NO money cheats.
Any mods or CC that enable new gameplay β and therefore more items on your bucket list β are allowed.

Resources

NRaas Traveler by Twallan
Traveler is one of the many Godsend mods by nraas and adds any installed worlds to the destination selection menu when planning a vacation. The mod can also be configured to manipulate the VISA level your sim has and pause the travel clock. When on vacation, your sim also has the option to permanently stay in the new world. This mod requires an installation of World Adventures.
You can find the mod here: -> NRaas Traveler Mod <-

Travel Destinations
There are a ton of great worlds created by the simmer community. They are all very unique, from the bustling city topped off with skyscrapers to the smaller island oasis. Depending on where your sim lands new possibilities to lengthen your simβs bucket list may arise. Here you can find a good overview of possible vacation destinations (or new towns) for your sim to visit:
Click here for -> The Sims 3 World Catalog <-
The Sims 3 Store also has plenty of worlds available for download, each with new gameplay to lengthen the bucket list:
Click here for -> The Sims 3 Store Worlds <-

Bucket List** This list can be updated with new items based on your suggestions.

I want to tell a story while completing this challenge, so I've created Zoey and have developed a backstory for her. I tried out machinima for the first time and created a video for the story's prologue:

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Dear Emma,
I miss you.

At our age oneβs own mortality isnβt a present thought in our minds. I wasnβt preoccupied with the when, where, how and why of it all. Not yet worried about such mundane details as of that of my existence or how best to spend it. Much less did I consider the limited time I had with the ones around me. Strangers, enemies, my coworkers, family and friends β and you. I forgot that we donβt have forever.

I hit rock bottom when I found out, dissolving into the cold gravel. A level cradle in my hazy stupor. Iβm still reeling from the emotional implosion, dragging the thousand shattered pieces of my existence through life, day in and day out.

I had not yet imagined a world without you. Playing out the scenarios wouldβve never done the reality of it justice, neither making accepting or coping with it any easier. I wish I wouldβve savored the time I did have with you more.

Now my mind plays an infinite cruel replay of the scenarios of the past. The way I wish they wouldβve played out. Me turning my phone off and listening to what you had to say instead of focusing on the million strangers in the digital void. Taking the later bus to get home, because an hour more with you is worth more than any amount of sleep would have β could have β ever mattered.

Time. More time. To laugh with you. Really laugh, the kind rumbles deep inside your gut, bursting into a loud baritone that steals your breath and tickles your soul. Talking to you, sharing the worst and the best of me, knowing you will be honest and love me either way. I miss just being with you.

A lot of good that does me now. I was always a little behind, you know that. You always knew early on what really mattered, though. That was even more apparent after I found your list. Not even a quarter of a century old and you were already thinking ahead.

I guess the worst part of all of this is despite my heartache and regrets, you wanted to make things count. You never got the chance to check off one thing off that darned list though. This is what really kills me. Or at least whatever is left of me after we lost you.

Mom and Dad donβt know about the list. It would break them into pieces. No need for them to know. Iβm not much in touch with them now anyway. Seems like any connections I had just dissolved after you left. As if you were the invisible glue holding it all together. We can keep the list between the two of us.

Of all the things I regret, I donβt want to regret the future. And I donβt want to let you go. You were always my go-to person. Iβm not ready to give that up yet. Donβt think I ever will. So Iβm holding on to your wishes. Iβm making it my lifeβs mission to make them come true. I will keep you posted sister dearest.

The rest of Zoey's letters written during this challenge - with photos of her adventures - will be posted on my blog (see link in signature), but I can keep you guys updated here as well if you'd like.β
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Has anyone else started this challenge? How are things going?

The rest of Zoey's letters written during this challenge - with photos of her adventures - will be posted on my blog (see link in signature), but I can keep you guys updated here as well if you'd like.β
β
Has anyone else started this challenge? How are things going?

I've begun the challenge and it is great so far. Would you by chance know of a tutorial for machinima (hope I spelled that right, LOL!)? If you would, please post when you can. Again, thank you for the challenge. Hope you are having fun too!
All the best,
Purple Orchid

I'm starting this challenge today, and I'm very excited! This looks like a lot of fun, and it'll give me a chance to explore different ways of playing than my usual routine: "Find a husband. Make babies. Repeat until bored."

I've begun the challenge and it is great so far. Would you by chance know of a tutorial for machinima (hope I spelled that right, LOL!)? If you would, please post when you can. Again, thank you for the challenge. Hope you are having fun too!
All the best,
Purple Orchid

I'm starting this challenge today, and I'm very excited! This looks like a lot of fun, and it'll give me a chance to explore different ways of playing than my usual routine: "Find a husband. Make babies. Repeat until bored."

Great! It really is a great way to get the most out of the game and make up a storyline along the way if one likes. Happy Simming! :-)